Lavender body scrub - DIY

This little bush is not just a pretty plant to have in garden, but can also be used in comestics, aromatherapy, cuisine and is a great decoration for your home or office.

Because the summer is almost over, I am sure that we all have been exposed to the sun much more than in the winter and much  more than it is good for us, so now is the right  time to pamper the skin with some nice scrub and prepare it for colder weather.

Because the lavender is full of oils, it is very good for exhausted and dehydrated skin.

I decided to pamper myself with a body scrub which is simple to make and contains lavender along with other skin friendly ingredients. It is very simple to make and will definitly make your skin feel much better.

For this scrub you will need: 

• a fistful of lavender
• 5 spoons of sugar 
• 4 spoons of olive oil

The procedure:

• Chop lavender into small pieces
• Mix it with sugar and olive oil and stir well.

Your scrub is ready! 

Apply it on wet skin after you shower and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse it off.

It will help remove dead skin cells, callm down the skin and make it a lot softer. The pleasant smell will relaxed our body and soul and get you ready for the night.

Don't use it on your face. If you wish to pamper your face, stay tuned, I will show you how to make something in one of my future »episodes«.

Enjoy your lavender scrub:)

Love, P.

L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution VS The Famouse Bioderma Sensibio H2O

As I promissed, here is my review or better comparison between Loreal Skin Perfection and Bioderma Sensibio H2O.

There have been quite a few blogs written about these two products and they seem to be very similar. They both look similar, they smell similar and they both remove make up, take away the dirt from the skin, tone the skin and both are suitable for sensitive skin. Loreal Skin Perfection is often reffered as an alternative for Bioderma. But is it really so similar and equally efficient?

The last three years a bottle of Bioderma is always in my bathroom. It is the only product in my skin care routine that I do not want to run out of.

I have very oily skin that is prone to acne, therefore I have to take very good care of it. Before I have  tried Bioderma I tried qiute a few product and none were as good as it. It removes all make up and the dirt from the skin and leave it very nice and cozy. It does not cause unplasant feeling anywhere on the face, or around the eye area. I especially like that is very light on skin, like water and does not fell greasy or sticky at all.

The price is around 11 or 12€ for 250ml, which is not very expensive, but it  certanly costs a lot more than Loreal Skin Perfection, whitch is around 5 € for 250ml.

Because many people claimed that these two are very similar, I went to my nearest drugstore and bought it. I used it for 3 weeks.

Let me start with the packaging of the product. To be honest, I strongly dislike the container. In fact, I hate it (and I know that hatred is bad for me and my skin, so I try to ignore it hahaJ).  A Clumsy container with a »nozzle«, that is too big, and because of that, the product spills out in huge amounts and gets everywhere.

My skins was looking good after using it, though. I did get the feeling that I have to use more product for the same results, compared to Bioderma. But after all it is much cheaper. Maybe it would be interesting to compare the cost of use of both products in a month. (note to self: do it sometime;))

It claims to be suitable for sensitive skin and for eye area but I always got itchy eyes after using it. I thought it was just me, so I asked my friend to try it, too. She reported the same. Because of this I would not receomend using it around the eyes, especially if you have sensitive eyes or you are using contact lenses. On the other hand, I naver had problems with Bioderma.

The bottom line is, Loreal Skin Perfection is still a great product, I think one of the best for remoiving make up in this price range (it is definetly worth paying the money), but I will stick with Bioderma. Is it such an amazing product and my skin loves it. Definetley worth paying some extra money.

Bioderma Sensibio H20

+ very good in removing make up

+ suitable for sesnitive, oily and dry skin

+ suitable fot the eye are

- tastes like shit (thanky good it's not for drinking):P

- costs a fortune

L'Oreal Paris Skin  Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

+ good in removing make up

+ suitable for oily and dry skin

+ budget friendly

- not very good around the eye area

- bad packaging 

Here are the ingredients list for both products:

Bioderma: Water, Peg-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Propylene Glycol, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Fructooligosaccharides, Disodium Edta, Cetrimonium Bromide

Loreal Skin Perfection: aqua, hexylene glycol, glycerin, poloxamer 184, disodium cocoamphodiacetate, disodium EDTA, polyaminopropyl biguanide.

Five things

My favorite people

As I mentioned before I wasn't  always sorrounded by kind and good people.  But the last 6 years I really feel that things started turning for the better and this makes me really really happy.

I think the only really good advice for happy and better life is to make good friendships. Friedns who really like you (for who you are, and not for maybe how you look, what you have and who you know) and respect you, and are there when you need them. My best friend is my boyfreind, I love and respect him very much. He is always there for me, help me if I am sick, or down because of a failed exam or something..  I share literaly everything with him. I have a few really good girl friends with whom I love to catch up, and chat about everything. A very important place in my life besides my boyfriend and friends takes my family. Altough we are not as close as I'd like us to be, we still have great moments together.

My dog

If I wrote this post a week ago I would write about two dogs. A little chihuahua girl and a medium size black dog, also a girl. Today I have just one dog, we had to put the black one, Aja (pronounced »Aya«), to sleep. I am still very sad L (She was actually my boyfriend's dog)

My little princess is around 2 and a half kg 'havy' dog, her name is Beauty. She is a very spoiled dog, because she spends almous all the time with my parents and they really don't have the heart to properly train her. She is still my little monster and she makes my day much more sunny as soon I see her.

Beauty

Aja

Traveling

If I always had a full bank account and a lot of free time I would always be around. Unfortunatly it's not like that.

I just love to trevel, see other places and get to know how other people live and their culture.

This year me and my boyfriend visited the Baltic countries and it was amazing. I live in 'central' Europe, and must say that north is great. If we think, that those are very young countries, and people were not so long ago living totally cut of from the rest of the world due to occupation.  I think it's worth taking the time and visit them.

Fashion

When I was a liitle girl I was enjoying looking at my mom's closet. I just couldn't wait for time when I could wear 'grown up' clothes and high heels. 

Now I really enjoy reading about clothes, going over fashion shows and dreaming about having all this clothes in my closet. Maybe, one day :P

Sun and sea

Alotught I am not a very 'sea' person I love chilling on the beach with a good book, empty head, and a good beer. Yes, I love some beers! 

Love, P.

I Love

I always love to watch what other people love, so I decided to show a few bits and pieces that I love. It is just a random collection of stuff that I use and love.

I will start with a few fashion things that I can't separate myself from this summer.

Sperry rose gold shoes – they are sooooo amazing. So comfortable to wear and (for me) very good looking. They look amazing on jeans and plain white T-shit. 

(As you cas see from the picture they are abused every day.)

ASOS Across Body Bag With Ruched Quilt – just a simple cross shoulder bag in a very bright lime clour. Adds a pop of clour to every outfit. Because it is Asos brand the price was a joke.               

Yellow Skirt and striped top (Skirt from River Island and top from H&M) – as I mentioned before I love popy colours in the summer time. I combine it with a simple top, striped one or just basic white T-shir. Looks great and young any way I wear it.

To emphasize the 'strengths'...

Nars bronzer in Laguna

Mac mineralize skinfinish in Soft and gentle

Chanel lipstick in Boy (54)

Loreal  infaliable eyeshadow in forewe pink (004)

Make up for ever  aqua cream (all)

Maybelline the Rocket volum express

Bourjois Color boost in Fuchsia Libre (02)

Korres Lip butter

Collistar nail polish in Lattementa Lacca (74)

Deborah nail polish in Ballerina Tutu (31)

La Roche Posay – Effeclar Duo – very good moisturizer for oily and acne prone skin.  It does not sit on the skin and I think it helps me get rid of pimples on my face (ofcourse in a combination with a good cleanser).

Loreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution – try it because I heard very good things about it. It seems to be very simmilar to Bioderma (which I love), and it is considerybly cheaper. I think my skin loves it as much as Bioderma. I'm thinking of writing a comparison of them both sometime... what do you think?;)

Weleda Skin Food – great product! Helps with dry and sensitive skin. I use it on my psoriasis rashes and all over my body where it needs it (it is the best cream that I tried for legs after shaving when skin gets all irritated and sensitive).

:)

I love love love Lush – Wiccy Magic Muscles.It is quite a spicy one but I love spicy scents. It helps me relax in the evening after a hard ans stressful day. It makes me feel relaxed and happy and rady for a dream world.

Love, P.

F*** Psoriasis

The first reason why I created this blog is because I want to get to know as many people as possible with simmilar problems that I have. I have psoriasis.

I won't explain what it is. If you've read this far, I'm sure you already know. And you also know that the effect is far more severe on the psyche than on the body.

http://foter.com/photo/is-what-it-is/

For me it all began about 8 years ago when I pierced my belly button. Initially it all looks great and I was very happy. After a few weeks I got a  humongous rush on my belly. I know I shold have seen a doctor immediatley, but I didn't. I tried to get rid of my rash with a variety of pharmaceutical creams. Unfortunately, they didn't help at all. Because it began to spread and became very itchy and ugly I finally decided to see a doctor. I was diagnosed with eczeme and got a creame that should help me. But it didn't. About 4 years later I finally visited a dermatologist. It is psoriasis, he said.

I was shocked (whattt!?!?!? I can't have this??!). I knew a few things about this skin desase because my schoolmate had it. So I knew ther is no cure for it and it looks ugly.

I began to wonder if will it spread around all my body. What would people think? Will people be disgusted by me???

Because I had never been confident enough, this diagnose affected me in a very bad way. For a very long time I didn't tell anyone about it. But when it spread on my elbows, I couldn't hide it enymore. For a short time I tried to wear long sleeves but when the summer came, it became impossible.

http://foter.com/photo/2767-playa-nudista-de-combouzas-en-arteixo-coruna-12/

When people notice that I have rashes on my elbows, they always think that I fell or scratched myself. They just can't help themselves asking (sometimes in disgust) what is wrong with me.

At the begining I felt very vulnerable when people asked me what it was. Sometimes I tried to avoid giving them the answer, sometis I said 'oh, it's nothing, just a scar' and when I was I in a very good mood I told them that this is psoriasi (AND that it's not contagious).

Now, a few years later, I'm still trying to learn how to explain that psoriasis is not a big deal. I still have bad days when I am not in the mood for explaning and I just say 'it's psoriassis – google it'.

I will probably neeed some more time and positive energy to deal with this condition completely.

And what can I say about treatments that I have tried?

Well I tried a few different creams with corticosteorids and many more without them, unfotrunally with no parmanent effect.

I know that healthy food and stress-free life can help and reduce rashes, but naturally I tend to get stressed often about insignificant things, which is maybe a good topic for my future blogging.J

This, unfourtunately, reflect on my rashes, they get worse significantly.

I read a lot about psoriassis, but I still don't feel I know a lot.

I would like to get to know as many people as possible with the same problem, and learn how you deal with them.

I decided to deal with this devil once and for all, even if the rashes don't dissapear. I'll just learn to say f**k it and live with them.

P.S. If I try any new medicines for psoriassis, I'll give you a review.

http://foter.com/photo/i-see-you-13/

Love, P.

Smile!

“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” Mother Teresa

When do you look your best? When you feel good. And what do you do when you feel good? You wear a wide smile.

The science of smiling ...

A smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth and by flexing muscles throughout the mouth.(by wiki)

But is it really just muscle movement? I don't think so. It is certanly much more than that. It it something that make people look so much more beautiful, happier, important, halthier, compitent,..

When I was younger l, I wasn't smiling or loughing very often. When I look bach now, I know, I was't a very happy person. And if I think a little better I wasn't very successful. I did't have that energy that many happy, smily girls have. They were always surronded by a massive crowd of people. And my best and most loyal companion was only my super sour face.

I read somewhere that we were all born with a smile on the face and that it folows us constantly over the very early childhood. Through the years some people lose this beautiful facial jewelry and forget how important it is to maintain it. It is proved that people who lough more  live longer, happier and have a more succesfull life.

Do you want to live longer and better? YES!

We don't need much, the secret formula is --- SMILE!  Yes it is that simple.

But if the smile is the secret way to the succesfull life why can't we learn how to smile more and better? Don't botherwith stuff you'll probably never understand, just fake your smiles even when there's nothing to smile or laught at! :D

Open the window and smile to the sun, smile to your friend, to your dog, or just to your face in the mirror.  

I’ve lost my smile when I was in high school. I became a sad, even depressed person. Constant bad mood and apathy controled my life for a very logn time. In that time i was't capable of doing anything good. I was't  a good friend, a good daughter, a good student,... baicaly, I wasn't good at anything. I  found I was cought in a very bad circle of bad mood.

But then things started to turn for the better. I met a boy. He was tottaly different than I. He was always so positve and spiritual and always had a good advice up in his sleeve. First, I wasn't very open for his »naive« kind of advices, but over the time he learnt me how to find good things in my life. He told me of 'fake smile'.  At least that’s how he called and still calls it.

What is it? It is a pretty naive technique that simply works. Whenever I was feeling down, sad, depresed he told me to just fake a smile.

At first I didn't beleive a simple and stupid thing like acting can work, but it does. It does wonders. The “cut” in bad mood is usually so abrupt that it makes me smile for real.

I am a living proof, or at least a beleiver that it works. Fake smile changeg my life in the way that I coud not imagine. I still have days when I feel a bit down and don't feel so good in my skin but I know I CAN make it better with this kind of a funny tool.

 We all know that people who do not feel good (are ill or just in emotional distress), have a bad body posture, they close themselves and have a bad body language all together. Well it turns out, it also works the other way arround. If you don’t feel good, you don’t “wear yourself right”, and if you only consciously change <our posture and start smiling or lauhging, everything starts turning for the better. Remember Pavlov’s dog? We aren’t that much different as it turns out.
A good TED talk on the topic: Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are.

In the end, I have just one advice – smile as much as possible, everything alse will come after.

It would be great if I could get your feedback if you choose to try this technique.

Love, P.